Follow these houseplant care plans according to their age to take the right steps toward their health.
Not only is every plant different, but every specimen has a different care regime according to its age. To make it a little easier for you, we have created some special plant care pointers according to how old they are.
Houseplant Care Plans According to Their Age
This is not about growing plants from seeds or cuttings – these tips also apply to the new plants that you get from the garden center or when you have divided or repotted them recently.
1 Week
1. Watering
At this stage, water the plant thoroughly and wait for it to become a little dry. When the plant is establishing itself, make sure the soil remains slightly dry.
2. Potting Mix
Mix one part peat moss-based mix and one part sand or perlite for good drainage. You can also go for a quality potting mix.
3. Position
At this point, the plant can not be exposed to direct sunlight and fluctuating temperatures, so keep it in a stable position where it can have indirect light and warm surroundings.
How to Make Your Own Potting Soil | Potting Mix Recipes For Everything
1 Month
1. Watering
Follow the same watering rule that you took in practice for a 1-week-plant. Avoid overwatering at all ages, but never let the soil become completely dry.
Learn how to water houseplants here
2. Feeding
At this stage, avoid feeding the plant. A good quality potting mix should fulfill all the growing needs of a plant. Do your first fertilization after 6-8 weeks, when it can be said the plant is established.
3. Position
After one month, you can expose the plant to a more well-lit position.
4. Pinching
When you notice some growth after waiting for a few months, pinch off the top growth above the leaf nodes to promote bushier growth. This trick is applicable for seedlings, herbs, perennials, and houseplants like coleus, philodendron, and pothos.
6 Months
1. Watering
The watering rule is the same for all ages and also according to particular plant’s needs. Reduce watering in winter and never overwater the plant.
Remember, overwatering is not moistening the plant thoroughly but doing this frequently. You can try bottom-watering as well.
Follow the top houseplant watering rules here
2. Fertilizing
At this age, you can continue the regular dose of feeding depending on the plant and its location. For a houseplant, do it every 2-4 weeks, in 1/4 of the recommended strength in the active growing season and see how the plant responds to it.
17 DIY Bloom Boosting Fertilizer Recipes
1 Year Onwards
1. Watering
Water the plant when topsoil becomes dry – this is the BEST approach to follow whether the plant is 1 year or 100 years old!
2. Feeding
Feed the plant once in every 2-6 weeks after diluting the fertilizer to 1/2 to 1/4 of its suggested strength. Do not fertilize the plant in colder months!
Note: Frequency and strength of fertilizer depend on the plant species, growing conditions, and position.
3. Repotting
If you see the roots of the plant coming out of the topsoil or the bottom hole of the container, it is time to repot it. Use a container that’s one size bigger than the old one – not more than that.
Using a fresh potting mix would be a good idea.
Take the help of these Plant Pot Sizes from Inches to Gallon
4. Pruning
At this stage, the plant will be ready for its first set of pruning. However, do not snip away the main growth of the plant. Just take away the dead and damaged parts of the stems and yellowing or brown leaves.
You can also snip 3-4 stems above the node to make the plant bushier.
